Compass apparatus



April 1938. F. A. KORMANN COMPASS APPARATUS Filed Feb; 18, 1935 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M/Zeawc' @mm "A ril 12, 1938. RAKORMANN 2,114,054

COMPASS APPARATUS F'ild Feb 18, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Frederick A. Kormann, Glendale, Calif., assignor to Kormann Aero-Safety Appliance, 1110., Glendale, Califi, a corporation of Nevada Application February .18, 1935, Serial No. 6,933

6 Claims. (Cl. 33-222) This invention relates'to a compass apparatus, of a preferred form or example of an apparatus and more particularly relates to an apparatus embodying the invention and for this purpose I including a compass and containing means by have'hereafter described, with reference to the which other apparatus may be automatically accompanyingdrawings, a preferred form orexactuated whenever the compass proper indicates ample of an apparatus embodyingthe present 5 the compass support is out of alignment with the invention. desired direction. p In the drawings:

The general object of the present invention Figure 1 indicates an elevation of the apparatus, is to provide a compass apparatus which may be exclusive of the diaphragm-actuated valves. 1 mounted upon any moving body, such as an aero- Figure 2 is an elevation mainly in section on plane, ship, or land traveling vehicle, and will the line 2-2 of Figure l.

automatically operate other devices whenever the Figure 3 is a section on, the line 33 of Figmoving body deviates in direction from a desired ure 2. course. Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of'Fig- The invention is of particular value for main- ,ure 2. 15

taining an aeroplane, dirigible or steamship auto- 'Figure 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Figmatically upon a desired compass course when ure 4. a connected with other controlled mechanisms. Figure 6 is a perspective vview of the armature.

A further object of the present invention is to Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the appaprovide the compass apparatus for automatically ratus showing its connection with diaphragmactuating a control apparatus in response to the actuated valves.

deviation of the apparatus support from a de- Referring to the drawings, the apparatus com sired direction, in which the connections between prises a pivotally mounted magnetic member 2, the magnet of the compass and the control appawhich may be of various desired forms, but is ratus are'devoid of all electrical circuits. Hereshown as including a hub 3 having a pin shaft tofore, when it has been desired to control an 4. The hub 3 carries a spider 5, which, in turn,

automatic apparatus from a compass, the comsupports the magnet proper 6 of the magnet pass has been generally provided with electrical member, which is shown to be of ring form. The

, contacts which it is to make and break as-it-devimagnet member is supported on the jewels I ates from a desired position. Such apparatus mounted upon the top of a casing member 8. The 30 has proved unreliable in service, and it is an obcasing member 8 is one of two casing'm'embers 8 ject of the present'invention to provide an -appa-- and 9, which together form an air-tight chamber ratus which may-connect the magnet of the comfor the armature Ill. The casing member 8 is pass with automatic apparatus without the necesown as p v ed With an annular flange 5 sity of including any electrical contacts. 3 adapted to be clamped against an annular flange A further object of the present invention is to ll of the casingmember 9; Mounted upon the provide a compass with a pneumatic connection flange Ill and the casing member 8 is a casing with a control apparatus, and .to provide such an head l2 of dome shape, which, together with the arrangement that the pneumatic forces gener-- casing member 9, provides an enclosed. casing 40 ated in operation 'will not in any way interfere for the magnet member. The casing member I2 40 with the magnet of the compass pointing to the is provided with a lateralopening l3 mounting a true magnet north. lens l4 having a suitable lubber line I 5, by means Another object of the present invention is to of which the compass may be seen. The spider 2 provide a compass apparatus including 'means around its lower periphery is .provided with suit- -for manually'setting theapparatus so as to cause able graduations indicating the direction of the 45 the follow-up control mechanism to be operated compass of the magnetic 'member. The lens l4 whenever the apparatus deviates from any preis held tothe casing member l2 by a ring lt held determined desired direction and to include such by screws or other suitable means, not shown. mechanism as will readily indicate to the opera- The ring l6, in turn, mountsa graduated dial I1 r the direction at which the apparatus is deheld to the ring by the inner face of an annular 50 I signed to automatically maintain the airship, gear I8 attached to said ring 11. vessel or vehicle which supports the compass ap- The armature l0 includes armature needles l9 paratus. whichv are in position to be acted upon by the Various additionalobjects and advantages o1 magnetic field of the magnet or magnets G of the '55 the invention will be apparent from a description magnet member and to be held by the magnetic field of such magnet or magnets 6 in alignment with the north and south poles of said magnets. The needle of the armature is originally attached to a supporting hub having an enlarged cylindrical portion 20. This cylinder is provided with an upper series of flutes 2| extending half-way around the periphery of the cylinder and with a lower series of flutes 22 extending around the other half of the periphery of the cylinder. The hub of the armature carries a jewel 2| in its upper end and a jewel 22 at its lower end. These jewels, in turn, are engaged by pins 23 and 24, respectively, by means of which the armature is revolvably mounted.

The lower pin 24 is mounted at the,end of a a disc. flange 26 having two circular grooves 21 and 28, respectively, in its lower face. A lateral arm 29 extends from the shaft-and has a return portion 30 extending over the armature III for supporting a screw 3|, which carries the upper pin 23.

The lower casing member 9 is provided with bores 32 and 33, which respectively connect with the grooves 21. and 28 in the flange 26. The arm 29 is provided with vertical bores 34 and 35, respectively, which have discharge ports facing the lower and upper fluted portions of the armature P0. The casing member 9 is provided with a bore receiving the tube 36 (Fig. 5), which tube may be used to connect the compass apparatus with a source of vacuum. In practice, when-the apparatus is installed upon an aeroplane, the tube 36 is .connected to the venturi and serves to maintain a slight vacuum within the chamber housing the armature l0.

The bores 32 and 33 are, respectively, connected by lines 3'! and 38 to diaphragm chambers 39 and 40 which are oppositely connected to a member 4| for moving the member 4| in different directions. The diaphragm chambers 39 and 40 are each provided with adjustable bleeds 4|. In

shaft 25 is provided with a gear 44, in turn con-- nected by gears 45, 46 with the gear 41 on a manually adjusting shaft 48. Adjusting shaft 48 is preferably provided with a gear 49, which engages the dial gear I 9 so that this dial is automatically rotated to indicate to the operator the position that the apparatus is set to automatically maintain.

In operation of the apparatus of the present invention, the operator turns the knob on the shaft 48'to position the dial relative to the lubberv line l5 to indicate any desired compass course. Unless the apparatus is accurately 'on such compass course, one or the other of the fluted portions 20 and 2| on the hub of the armature will be presented to the bores 34 or 35. Thus, there is a greater vacuum placed upon one of the diaphragm chambers 39, 4|! than the other, causing the member 4| to be moved over to close either line 42 and open line 43, or vice versa. Since the motionof the air pressure is towards the hub of the armature Ill there is no substantial action tending to hold this armature in any flxed position and it is free to revolve into position in alignment with the magnetic field of the magnet 2. This is an important feature of the present invention, as other compasses built to operate remote control apparatus have all been affected by the remote control apparatus so that they will not indicate a true magnetic position. With the present arrangement of apparatus this result is avoided and the apparatus is able to accurately indicate a desired position.

While the particular form of apparatus herein described is well adapted to carry out the objects of the present invention, this invention is not limited to the particular form shown but includes all such modifications and changes as come within the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the class described including' a. magnet mounted to operate as a compass, an enclosed chamber mounted adjacent said magnet, an armature mounted within said enclosed chamber coaxial of said magnet to be magn'etically controlled thereby, connections for exhausting air from said chamber, means forming a pair of inlets to said chamber closely adjacent said armature, said armature being formed to differentially vary the flow from said inlets upon opposite deviations of the carrying craft from a set course respectively, and diaphragm chambers each connected with a respective inlet. 2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a compass, an armature pivotally mounted independently of the compass coaxial thereof so as to be positlonally controlled thereby, said armature. having a rotor having two fluted portions axially and circumferentially displaced,

inlets adapted to closely face said two flutedportions, the fluted portions and position of the inlets being arranged so that when one inlet is faced by a fluted portion the other is not, and as the armature is rotated to move the fiuted portion from facing one inlet the other fluted portion is brought facing the other inlet, and means connecting said inlets with respective diaphragms. I

3. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a compass, an armature pivotally mounted independently of the compass coaxial thereof so as to be positlonally controlled thereby, said armature having a rotor having two fluted portions axially and circumferentially displaced, inlets adapted to closely face said two fluted portions, thev fluted portions and position of the inlets being arranged so that when one inlet is faced by a fluted portion the other is not, and as the armature is rotated to move the fluted portion from facing one inlet the other fluted portion is brought facing the other inlet, means connecting said inlets with respective diaphragms, and means for manually revolving said inlets about the axis of said armature to set a desired course.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, an armature member including a rotor having smooth and fluted portions, an enclosure for said armature, said enclosure havlnga connection to a source of pressure other than atmospheric, and two ports closely adjacent the fluted portion of said rotor, said ports being so arranged with respect to each other that when one port faces the fluted portion of said surface, the other faces the smooth portion.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, an

an enclosure for said armature having a connecmeans connecting each one of said ports with a respective one of said chambers.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, an armature member including a rotor having a surface including fluted and smooth portions, an

enclosure for said armature, said enclosure having a connection to a source of pressure other than atmospheric, two diaphragm chambers each comprising a casing and a movable diaphragm.

operative connections between said diaphragms, 5

two ports closely adjacent said surface, said ports being so arranged with respect to each other that when one port faces the fluted portion of said surface the other faces the smooth portion,

and means connecting each one of said ports with m a respective one of said chambers.

FREDERICK A. KORMANN. 

